As one of the few head coaches on hand during the scouting combine’s last day of workouts earlier this month, it’s clear Broncos coach John Fox is decidedly an on-the-ground, see-it-with-my-own-eyes guy when it comes to draft prospects.

And with the team’s cruise through some of the draft’s hot spots this week — Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M — it’s clear not only will the Broncos’ scouts hit the road to see those prospects, but the team’s personnel decision-makers — John Elway, Brian Xanders and Fox — will as well.

This week’s travel also enabled the Broncos to get up close and personal with three of the top defensive prospects on the board in Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller. The workout with Miller on Thursday was a private one for the Broncos.

There are two other top defensive prospects who have yet to show their post-scouting combine wares to teams. They are Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Clemson was slated to have its pro day Thursday as well, when the Broncos executives were in College Station, Texas, with Miller.

But Bowers, who had arthroscopic knee surgery following the season, told scouts he would not participate. Bowers is now slated to do on-field work April 1 for those interested, allowing him more time to regain his form.

That flies in the face of the “100 percent” evaluation Bowers gave his knee at the combine, though he did not do on-field work in Indianapolis last month. Because he had just one big season with the Tigers, pro day is an important step for Bowers to maintain the lofty draft status he enjoyed before the workout season began.

Bowers’ knee surgery is a question mark, with several teams now saying it is more serious than he has said. The medical staffs for every team in the league got a good look at it at the combine, including an MRI.

When it comes to those elite, top-five positions in the draft, it often comes down to the thinnest of margins when teams make those decisions. In the meantime, players like Miller, Dareus, Fairley and Peterson have wowed personnel executives.

LSU’s pro day will be Monday. Because Peterson’s numbers at the scouting combine were so off-the-charts good, it’s unlikely he would do much in the way of the agility drills or the 40-yard dash again. But he will almost certainly go through position drills for the teams who have specific things they would like to see.

He is easily the top cornerback in this draft and likely the safest pick on the board in terms of pro potential, college performance, work ethic and what teams consider a clean slate off the field.

So, by the time the sun sets Monday, the Broncos will have looked at four of the top defensive players on the board in a year when they certainly need one with that No. 2 pick.